The Epiphany in the Emergency Room
by DaLiza
Summary: Brennan is attacked while Booth is with Hannah, leading him to rediscover how much his partner means to him.
1. The Agent in the Hospital

**AN: This story will be told in alternating points of view; Booth will have odd numbered chapters, Brennan will have even. Hope you enjoy!**

**AN2: Thanks to Meagan for providing information on DC hospitals.**

XXXXXXXXXX

Up until the moment I got the call from Cam, I was having a really good day.

After breakfast at the diner, I had gone to court to testify against a guy Bones and I had arrested a couple months back; He'd murdered his first wife five years ago and was living happily with wife number two. My testimony went perfectly, and after only a few hours the jury returned a guilty verdict. Caroline took me out to lunch to celebrate. After lunch, Hacker summoned me to his office for a performance review and showered me with praise. A couple hours later, Becca called and told me I could have Parker the following weekend. After work, I'd returned home and found that Hannah had made dinner. We enjoyed a great meal together and then we…well, we enjoyed each other and went to sleep.

Then the call came. After that, nothing else mattered.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Seeley," Hannah said, shaking my shoulder. "Seeley, wake up. Your phone keeps ringing."

Reluctantly opening my eyes, I looked at the clock on my bedside table. The glowing red digits told me it was 10:47 P.M. Why couldn't people ever find dead bodies at a decent hour? I was still half asleep, so it took me a couple tries to grab my phone and open it. "Where's the body?" I grumbled.

"This isn't a work call, Seeley."

I had been expecting the voice on the other end to belong to an agent, so I was surprised to hear Cam. "Then why are you calling so late?"

"It's about Dr. Brennan." Cam let out a deep breath. I had known her long enough to know that that was her way of bracing herself to deliver bad news. "She's in the emergency room at George Washington University Hospital."

"What happened?" Feeling a sudden burst of adrenalin, I leapt out of bed and began grabbing the clothes I'd tossed on the floor a couple hours earlier, putting them on with one hand while I held the phone in the other.

"An intern on his way home found her bleeding and unconscious, the apparent victim of an attack, in the Jeffersonian parking garage. He called 911 and then he called me. I'm at the hospital now, and I just talked to one of her doctors. He said she suffered internal injuries, so they're prepping her for surgery."

Internal injuries? Surgery? Oh God, please let her be okay. "I'll be right there." I hung up the phone and continued getting dressed. It was much easier now that I had two hands free.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked.

I didn't bother turning to face her as I answered. "Bones is in the emergency room. I'm going to see her now."

"The emergency room?" Hannah repeated. "Oh my God, what happened?"

"She was _attacked_," I snapped, still unable to look at her. I was furious with myself that I'd been lying in bed with my girlfriend while someone was hurting my partner.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Hannah sounded taken aback by my temper. Understandable. She'd never seen me angry before.

"No. You can go back to sleep." I raced out of the apartment and to my car.

As I drove to the hospital, I had the siren on all the way.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What room is Temperance Brennan in?" I demanded when I sprinted into the hospital lobby and up to the nurses' station.

"Are you family?" A nurse asked.

Her detached tone irritated the hell out of me. "I'm her goddamn partner," I said, flashing my badge. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Seeley!" I turned to see Cam heading toward me. She was dressed up as if she'd been on a date. "They've already started the surgery."

No! Bones had been there for me before my surgery; I'd wanted…needed…to do the same for her and I'd failed. Feeling utterly defeated, I let Cam lead me to a chair in the lobby. "Do we know anything more about what happened to her?"

"Not yet, but the FBI was only beginning their investigation when I left for the hospital. I asked the Jeffersonian's best security people to assist them."

I clenched my fists so hard they hurt. "Where were the Jeffersonian's best when Bones was getting _attacked_?"

"Seeley." Cam put her hand on mine. "I know you're worried about Dr. Brennan, but yelling at me, yelling at nurses…yelling at whoever happens to cross your path…isn't going to help her."

I sighed, knowing she was right. "I'm sorry, Cam. When something bad happens to Bones, I get…cranky."

Cam laughed. "No, you get 'cranky' when you don't have your morning cup of coffee. When something happens to Brennan, you get _crazy_."

I remembered how I'd put a gun in Ortez's mouth after he put a hit on her. How I'd left a hospital after I'd been blown up to rescue her from Kenton. How I'd slammed Vega into a table and threatened to kill him after she'd been taken by the Gravedigger. "Maybe a little."

"I'd probably act the same way if it was Michelle in the emergency room. We all go a little crazy when someone we love is hurt."

"I don't love Bones," I said bitterly. "Not anymore. She rejected me and I moved on, okay?"

Cam's eyebrows jumped. "She rejected you? So you actually told her you loved her?"

I thought back to the night I'd screwed everything up. "Not exactly. But I tried. I asked her to give us a chance. She turned me down and I met Hannah. End of story."

"Be honest with me, Seeley. Are you really in love with Hannah?"

"Yeah. Of course." Why wouldn't I be? Hannah's attractive, intelligent, successful, dedicated, fearless, independent…

She's everything I love about Bones.

Whoa!

Am I dating Hannah because she reminds me of Bones?

And did I say 'love'?

I meant _loved_. Past tense. I _love_ Hannah. Present tense.

Although from the moment I got Cam's call until just now, I hadn't thought about Hannah at all.

Am I just kidding myself about moving on?

Maybe.

Probably.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Damn.

"Booth!"

I looked up to see Angela and Hodgins rushing toward me. Sweets and Daisy were right behind them.

"How is she?" Angela asked.

"They just started operating," Cam answered. "It could be hours and hours before we know anything. You guys should go home and get some rest. I promise to call you the second they give us an update on her condition."

"It's nice of you to offer, Cam," Angela said, settling herself in a chair. The others followed her lead. "But we're staying."

I was touched by the squints' loyalty…and curious as to why they were dressed up. Hodgins and Sweets were in tuxedos; Angela and Daisy were in fancy dresses. Just like Cam. I was about to ask what the occasion was when it hit me. "The Donors' Banquet! It was tonight, right? That's why you're all dressed up." The Donors' Banquet is this huge party the Jeffersonian throws once a year for all the people who give them money. There's a ton of food and some great wine, but overall it's pretty boring. I'd gone with Bones a few times over the years, but this year…Oh God.

"Dr. Brennan was there too," Hodgins said. "At least she was in the beginning."

"Do you think one of the donors attacked her?" Daisy asked me. "But why would anyone who donates to the Jeffersonian want to hurt one of its best scientists? It doesn't make sense."

"People's actions don't always make sense-not from an outsider's perspective, anyway," Sweets pointed out.

"Brennan didn't even want to go, but I made her," Angela said, tears running down her face. "It's my fault she got hurt."

Hodgins put his arm around her. "It's not your fault, babe."

"Hodgins is right," I said. "It's _my_ fault."

"Don't blame yourself, Booth," Sweets said. "You're not the one who attacked her."

"But I could have protected her." I felt so disgusted with myself that I thought I might actually throw up. "Bones asked me last week if I would go to the Donors' Banquet with her. I told her that Hannah and I had other plans."

Bones was in the hospital because I'd chosen to spend time with Hannah instead of her. I'd chosen a substitute over the woman I really loved.

I wouldn't make that mistake again.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Thanks for reading! All comments are greatly appreciated.**


	2. The Anthropologist at the Banquet

**Six Hours Earlier**

"Brennan! What are you doing down here?" Angela asked as she walked into Bone Storage or "Limbo" as my colleagues call it.

As I had skeletal remains spread out on a table, I would have thought the answer to that question would be obvious. "I'm trying to identify this woman." I knew it was a woman because the remains included a pelvis. The pelvis showed signs of remodeling; I estimated the injury had occurred approximately six months before her death.

Angela smiled and rolled her eyes at me. "I can see that. I meant why are you working when we have a banquet to get ready for."

I examined the woman's skull. Definite Caucasoid features. "I'm not going."

"Seriously? Cam will _kill_ you if you don't show up."

I laughed. "I'm the best forensic anthropologist the Jeffersonian has. I find it highly unlikely that Cam would murder me for missing a party."

"The Donors' Banquet isn't just a party. It's a big deal for the Jeffersonian. Our best forensic anthropologist should be there."

I looked at the woman's mandible, examining her teeth to get an idea of her age. Based on the development of her molars, I concluded she was in her late teens or early twenties. "I think the Jeffersonian's benefactors would understand if I missed the banquet because I was doing the work they're subsidizing. Don't you think this woman deserves to be identified and returned to her family?"

"Of course. But she's already waited years; I think she can wait until Monday. Please think about it, sweetie. I'd really like to see you interacting with live people."

I also noticed evidence of remodeling on the woman's left tibia. Combined with the damage to the pelvis, that suggested she may have been in a car accident. "I find the live people at such events to be very annoying."

"Okay, some of the donors do talk _way_ too much. But they're not all pompous and boring. Remember that old army guy who was telling Booth those amazing war stories?" She went silent for a few moments. "Booth isn't going this year, is he?"

"No. He has plans with Hannah." That's what he'd told me when I asked him last week. His answer didn't surprise me. He and Hannah were spending a lot of time together, which was perfectly normal for a couple in love. I was trying to be happy for him, but in truth I missed our late night talks and meals at the diner. I missed the way he used to look at me. I missed a lot of things.

"So that's why you don't want to go."

I've often admired Angela's intuition, but sometimes I wished that she were less perceptive. "My not wanting to go to the banquet has nothing to do with Booth. I just think it's a waste of time."

"Did you think it was a waste of time when you went with Booth last year?"

"Yes." I was lying.

"I know you're lying, sweetie. I saw the two of you last year, and you were both having a great time. Don't worry too much about Hannah, okay? That isn't going to last. Sooner or later he'll realize that it's you he really wants and the two of you will live happily ever after."

I forced myself to laugh. "No. That is definitely NOT going to happen."

"Why do you say that?"

I had known I'd have to tell Angela at some point, but I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. "Because we missed our moment."

"You 'missed your moment'? What does that mean?"

"Shortly before I left for Maluku, Booth asked me to give a relationship with him a chance. I told him I couldn't."

"Brennan!" She sounded exasperated with me. "How could you do that? He's the perfect guy for you! Everyone who meets you two can see it! Why can't you?"

"I do see it!" I snapped. I wasn't as oblivious as everyone thought I was.

"Then why did you turn him down?"

I took a deep breath. Let it out slowly. "I was afraid that I couldn't be the woman he wanted. The woman he deserved. I was afraid I'd lose the only man I've ever cared about. I regret that I made a decision based on fear, but it doesn't matter now. He's moved on."

"Oh sweetie." She gave me a hug. "For what it's worth, I don't think he really moved on. He only thinks he has. If you started dating someone tomorrow, he'd be as jealous as he was when you were with Sully." Suddenly her eyes lit up. "You're going to the banquet tonight, Bren. You're going to meet some young, rich guy and start dating him. Then Booth will realize what his heart truly wants."

"I don't think I'm ready to date again."

"Spending all your free time in Limbo won't help you get ready. Go to the banquet. Please? Consider it a personal favor for me and the baby."

The young woman in "Limbo" had been someone's baby. Yet my attendance at the banquet clearly meant a lot to Angela. "I'm going to spend another half hour with these remains and then I'll get ready to go."

Angela gave me another hug. "Thank you, sweetie. You won't regret it."

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as I arrived at the banquet, I did regret it.

There were so many people stuffed into the Jeffersonian ballroom that just moving around was difficult. It was also very warm, too warm for my comfort even though my black cocktail dress left a good deal of skin exposed. I would stay for a little while to satisfy my promise to Angela and then go home.

I needed to find Angela to show her I'd come. After several minutes of squeezing my way past groups of conversing scientists and benefactors, I finally spotted her and Hodgins. I waved at them and they waved back. They started to move in my direction, but had to stop when they were pulled into a conversation with a few men I didn't know.

Wanting to talk to my friends alone, I waited for the conversation to be finished.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Frustrated, I decided to go to the bar area and grab a drink. I turned around abruptly and bumped into a man in his thirties. Mid to late thirties, I estimated. I had never seen him before at the Jeffersonian, so he was most likely a donor. He had short dark hair and symmetrical features. Somewhat like Booth, but not as attractive.

Why did I have to compare every man I met to Booth? They always came up short.

"Sorry," I said.

He smiled at me. His dentition was aesthetically pleasing. "It's alright. It's hard to move around here and not bump into somebody, isn't it?"

"That's certainly true."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm William Hewitt Dickinson." He extended his hand to me. "You can call me Will or William."

I shook it. "Temperance Brennan. You can call me Temperance."

"It's a pleasure, Temperance. Would I be too forward if I said that you look very beautiful tonight?"

"No. Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself."

He smiled again. "I'm glad you think so. Do you work at the Jeffersonian? Or are you a patron like me?"

"I work at the Jeffersonian. I'm a forensic anthropologist. One of the best in the world actually. That means I-"

"You can determine age, sex, race, past injuries, and cause of death for remains that are badly decomposed," he interrupted.

"Very impressive." Most people I meet outside of the scientific community are unaware of what a forensic anthropologist does.

"I took some anthropology courses in college," he said. "But I majored in Business, then got my MBA at the Yale School of Management. I'll be taking over my father's business someday. Have you heard of Dickinson Industries?"

"No. But I'm guessing that it's run by your father."

"Indeed it is," he said with a laugh. "Hold on a minute. Are you the same Temperance Brennan who wrote Bred in the Bone?"

"Yes. That was my first novel."

"Wow! I loved that book. I loved all of your books. Is Kathy based on yourself? Obviously you're both forensic anthropologists."

"Yes, but that's all we have in common."

"What about Andy? Is he someone you're dating in real life?"

"I'm not dating anyone at the moment."

"Neither am I." The orchestra began to play, and soon couples all around us were dancing. "Will you dance with me, Temperance?"

_I danced with Booth last year. He spun me around and dipped me and-  
_

I pushed the image out of my mind. He was with Hannah right now; why shouldn't I dance with another man? "I'd like that."

After we had danced to a few songs, William said: "It's so crowded in here. Is there someplace else we can go?"

Eager to escape the crowds and unbearable heat, I led him out of the ballroom and into one of my favorite sections of the museum. "The exhibits in this room are fascinating. Some of them date back to-"

Suddenly he was kissing me.

It'd been a long time since anyone had kissed me, and William was a more than adequate kisser. I should have found the experience pleasurable.

But I didn't.

When I asked myself why, the answer came almost immediately: William, while attractive and educated, was lacking one important quality.

He wasn't Booth.

I pulled away from him. "I'm sorry. In the past I wouldn't have minded having a physical relationship with someone I had no emotional attachment to, but I can't do that anymore." I ran out of the Jeffersonian and into the parking garage.

William followed me. "Temperance, wait. I'm sorry I upset you. I don't normally go that fast, please believe me. Can we try this again?"

Without looking back at him I headed to my car. "No. I'm going home."

"Come on, Temperance!" He sounded increasingly desperate. "My family has given thousands of dollars to the Jeffersonian. Give me another chance and I'll write a check tomorrow. How much do you want?"

He thought he could _buy _another chance with me? I was disgusted. "No amount of money is going to make me change my mind."

"You think you can lead me on and then just walk away? You're making a big mistake." As I reached for my door handle, he grabbed me. Instinct took over. I applied pressure to his wrist until I heard a crack. He screamed in pain.

I tried to get to my car again, but he moved to block my path. His face was contorted in rage. I'd seen that look before on the face of the foster father who'd locked me in a car trunk for two days. "You're gonna regret that, bitch."

He started hitting me over and over again. I used my extensive martial arts training to deflect several blows and to inflict as many as I could, but in the end it wasn't enough. Eventually I could feel myself starting to lose consciousness. In my last few seconds of conscious thought, I found myself wondering when Booth would come help me.

After all, he'd always come to my aid when I'd needed him the most. He'd shot Agent Kenton and the Harbinger doctor just as each was about to kill me. He'd pulled me to the surface when Hodgins and I had been buried by the Gravedigger. He'd stood in front of the bullet Pam Nunan meant for me.

_But he's not coming to save you this time, _my brain taunted._ He has plans with the woman he loves._

XXXXXXXXXX

**Thanks for reading! All comments are greatly appreciated.**


	3. The Agent in the Interrogation

**The Next Day**

_The woman I love won't wake up. The doctors said her operation was successful, but she's still unconscious._

_Please, Bones. Baby. Please wake up. I hate seeing you in this hospital bed, connected to all these machines. I wish it were me lying there instead; I wish I'd gotten injured protecting you. You know I can handle physical pain. I've had plenty of practice at that. But seeing you looking so weak and knowing there's not a damn thing I can do to help you get better…it's too much, Bones._

_I faced death a bunch of times in Afghanistan and never felt this scared. Remember the time you said: "I wish you wouldn't keep letting me hug you when I get scared" and I said: "I get scared and I'll hug you. We'll call it even."? I wish I could hug you right now. I'll settle for holding your hand. I hope that's okay._

_I'm so sorry I didn't go to the banquet with you. I'm sorry I've been such a terrible friend lately. Just wake up and I'll do anything you want to make amends. Deal? Spit in my hand, we're Scully and Mulder._

_I know you don't know what that means. And that's okay. That's one of the things I love about you._

_That's right, Bones, I said love. __**I love you**__. And I didn't say that just because I'm terrified of losing you. I said it because it's true. It's as true as anything you can prove scientifically in the lab. Just wake up and I'll show you. I'll spend the rest of my life showing you._

"You really love her, don't you?"

I looked up to see Hannah standing in the doorway of Bones' hospital room. "Yeah. I have for years. But when she turned me down last year, I told myself that I needed to move on. I really thought I had, but I realize now that I just buried my feelings. When I got the call last night that she was hurt, they came rushing to the surface. I'm sorry, Hannah. I was going to tell you."

"I can't say I'm surprised; I'd suspected it for a while. Seeing you holding her hand and the way you were looking at her just now confirmed it." She reached into her pocket and handed me a pair of sunglasses. "Will you give her these when she wakes up?"

I was pretty sure I recognized them. "Are these Brennan's?"

"Yes. It'd be wrong of me to keep something that obviously belongs to her."

I knew that she was talking about more than just sunglasses.

XXXXXXXXXX

A few hours after Hannah left, I got a call from Agent Kal Roberts, the senior agent who was heading the investigation into Brennan's attack. "How's she doing?"

"Out of surgery, but still unconscious."

"Do they have any idea when she'll wake up?"

"No." One of her doctors had told me to be patient. Easy for him to say. It wasn't the woman he loved lying in that hospital bed. "Do you have any leads?"

"The security tapes from last night have mysteriously gone missing, but we do have a suspect. His name is William Dickinson. He's the son of Grant Dickinson, the CEO of Dickinson Industries. According to witnesses, he and Dr. Brennan left the Donors' Banquet together. Our guys are bringing him in now."

"I want to interrogate him." Not entirely true, I admit. I didn't want to interrogate him; I wanted to _kill_ him.

"Sorry, Agent Booth. You're way too close to this one. I'll call you when I finish questioning him."

"Come on, Roberts. What if it was _your_ partner who'd been attacked? Would you want to wait around for a phone call?"

He was silent for several seconds. "As a professional courtesy, I'll allow you to observe my interrogation. We'll start in an hour, interrogation room three. Alright?"

That would give me enough time to go back to my apartment and change into a clean suit. "Alright. Thanks."

I hung up and went to the lobby in search of the squints. The only one I found was Angela. "Did everyone else go home?"

"No, they went down to the cafeteria. I didn't feel like going, so Hodgins offered to bring something back for me and the baby." Her eyes filled with tears. "I told Brennan if we had a girl I'd name her Temperance. I want my best friend around as my child grows up."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Bones is a fighter. She's going to be fine, okay?" She nodded. "The FBI might have the guy who attacked her, so I'm going to go check it out. Would you sit with her? If she wakes up while I'm gone, I don't want her to be alone."

"Of course. If it is the guy, give him a kick in the balls for me."

I laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

XXXXXXXXXX

I hated William Dickinson the second I saw him behind the two-way mirror of interrogation room three. He looked so arrogant, like he felt he could get away with anything. Probably because he always had.

"Do you know why you're here, Mr. Dickinson?" Agent Roberts began.

"The agents who brought me here said you wanted to ask about Dr. Brennan. I heard about her attack on the news this morning. I only met Temperance last night, but I was saddened to hear that something so terrible had happened to her."

_Really? You don't look sad to me._

"According to witnesses, the two of you danced at the Jeffersonian Donors' Banquet, then left together. Where did you go?"

"She said she wanted to go someplace private, so she took me to a room in the museum and we started making out…and doing other stuff."

_In the museum? No way. Bones respects her work too much. If she really wanted to…do stuff…with you, she'd have taken you back to her apartment._

"These activities were entirely consensual?" Roberts asked.

_Her doctors said there were no signs of sexual assault. Thank God for that at least. The idea of someone hurting Bones that way makes me sick._

Dickinson laughed. "Of course they were consensual. I'm good looking, charming, well-educated, and rich; I've never had to force myself on any woman. Temperance was more than happy to be with me. She was amazing, by the way. She has such a skilled mouth, skilled hands…and that smoking hot body. It's like a piece of art. No, I take that back. She's _better _than a lot of art I've seen. Seriously. She has the most beautiful breasts I've ever- "

_Shut your mouth right now or I swear to God I'll come in there and kill you with my bare hands. _

"I get the picture, Mr. Dickinson," Roberts interrupted. "What happened after you two were finished fooling around?"

"We went back to the party and went our separate ways. I didn't see her again. I wonder if she ran into an old boyfriend, or maybe even a current one, and told him what we'd done to make him jealous. He got pissed and ended up attacking her."

_Ha! Interesting theory, Billy boy. But I'm thinking it's more likely that YOU attacked her. Maybe because she didn't find you as charming as you think you are._

"If you didn't attack Dr. Brennan, may we take a DNA sample to eliminate you as a suspect?"

"Go ahead. I have nothing to hide, Agent Roberts." He opened his mouth so a squint could swab his cheek. "Considering some of the things we did in that museum room, I'm sure you'll find my DNA all over her." He had the nerve to smile.

_You sick bastard._

"The Jeffersonian's security tapes from last night have gone missing. Do you know anything about that, Mr. Dickinson?"

"Sorry, but I don't. Maybe Dr. Brennan took them so her colleagues wouldn't see her indiscretion."

_Or maybe you used Daddy's money to bribe someone at the Jeffersonian to destroy them. _

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Dickinson. I'd appreciate you staying in town until this matter is resolved."

_That's it_? _You're going to let him go?_

"I will. Good luck in your investigation." As Dickinson stood up, a look of pain flashed across his face. Roberts didn't notice it, but I did.

_What's wrong with him?_

_He put pressure on his right wrist when he stood up. _

_His wrist must be broken. _

_Bones broke it, just like she broke Epps'!_

_That's my girl!_

Knowing what I had to do, I raced into the interrogation room. "Hold on a minute, Billy boy."

"My name is William. Who are **you**?"

"This is Agent Booth," Roberts said before I could introduce myself. "You shouldn't be here, Booth."

"Agent Seeley Booth?" Dickinson asked. "You're Temperance's partner, the real life Andy Lister; she dedicated one of her books to you. The two of you have a history together." His eyes widened. "YOU attacked her when she told you what we'd done!"

The bastard who attacked my partner was trying to blame _ME? _I grabbed him by his shirt collar. "You lying sonofa-"

"Booth!" Roberts yelled. "Let him go. NOW."

Knowing I'd get suspended if I didn't, I released him. "I'm here because-"

"Where were you last night, Booth?" Roberts asked.

"You can't be serious."

"Answer the question, Agent."

"I was with my girlfriend." _Well, ex_-_girlfriend now. _"I would NEVER do anything to hurt Bones! I'd give my life for her!"

"Maybe you didn't mean to hurt her," Dickinson said. "But it's obvious that you have a temper. I'm guessing you have a history of violence as well."

I wanted to grab him again and throw him against the wall. But using violence against him would only prove his point, wouldn't it? I forced myself to calm down as I addressed Roberts. "I came in here because I just got a call from the hospital. Dr. Brennan woke up and identified William Dickinson as her attacker."

Dickinson's face showed no emotion. "She's lying. She's covering for you because she doesn't want you to get in trouble. You see that a lot in cases of domestic abuse."

I laughed at him. "Dr. Brennan's reputation is solid. No jury is going to believe that she's lying."

"If she's not lying, then she's just confused. Traumatic injuries such as the one she suffered can affect one's memory."

"She remembers breaking your wrist. She wasn't confused about that. Will you let us examine your wrist, Billy boy?"

When I reached for his wrist, he jammed it into his pocket. "That's right. She did break my wrist. She attacked me first! I was only defending myself."

"You call beating a woman nearly to death 'defending yourself'?"

"I would have stopped hitting her if she had stopped hitting me. Your lovely Bones is mentally unstable and would have killed me if she had the chance." He smiled. "She got what she deserved."

"No, she didn't. But you will." I watched Roberts handcuff him and read him his rights.

_You better hope Bones wakes up for real, Billy boy, because if she dies, I'll have Caroline push for the death penalty. The squints and I will make sure you're convicted and, when the day of your execution comes, I'll be the one sticking the needle in your arm._

XXXXXXXXXX

**Thanks for reading! All comments** **are greatly appreciated. **

**P.S. D.C. doesn't actually have the death penalty, but I tend to ignore reality when it gets in my way.**


	4. The Anthropologist in the Awakening

"_Bones, I've got great news!" Booth called out as he walked into my office on Monday morning. "I-" His smile disappeared when he saw my bruised face. "Whoa. What the hell happened to you? Did you get in a car accident?"_

"_No, I was attacked in the Jeffersonian parking lot on Friday night," I explained, striving to keep my voice free of emotion. "I woke up in a hospital on Saturday morning and was discharged in the afternoon. I tried to call you several times to let you know what had happened, but you never answered. "_

_He looked guilty. "Oh. Sorry about that. I had my phone turned off all weekend so that no one would disturb Hannah and me while we were having lots and lots of sex. Did they catch the guy who attacked you?"_

"_The DC police said that they'd try to locate him, but admitted that my case wasn't a high priority because I wasn't murdered."_

"_That sucks. At least you're okay now, though. Right?"_

"_Of course." If you didn't count the lingering pain from my injuries, the difficulty sleeping, the nightmares when sleep eventually came, and the fear that Dickinson would try to hurt me again._

"_Good. I'm happy to hear it."_

_I wanted to hit him. The old Booth would have known instantly that I wasn't really okay. He would have taken me into his arms and comforted me. But that Booth was gone and he was never coming back._

"_So let me tell you my great news. I proposed to Hannah on Friday night and she said yes!"_

_I forced myself to smile even as I wanted to scream. "That's wonderful, Booth."_

"_There's more. We found out last night that Hannah's pregnant. We're going to have a family! I've never been so happy, and in a way I owe it all to you, Bones. None of this would have happened if you hadn't turned me down last year, finally giving me the chance to move on. For that I'll always be grateful."_

"_I can't work with you anymore," I blurted out. Seeing him so happy with another woman day after day would be too painful._

"_I understand, and I feel the same way. Things have been so awkward between us lately. I think it's best if we both get new partners. Maybe Agent Perotta would work with you again. You liked her, didn't you?"_

_Didn't he know me at all? "She was an adequate partner on the case we did together, but I wouldn't want to work with her on a regular basis."_

"_Would you prefer a male agent? I know a lot of agents who think you're hot; they'd jump at the chance to work with you. One of them, Agent Brady, might be a good fit for you. He's a nice guy, and really smart, so he won't roll his eyes at your annoying squint speak. You should give him a chance. In a few years you two could become good friends or even lovers. Maybe you'll end up marrying him and-" He laughed. "Who am I kidding? We both know that every guy you let get close to you ends up leaving in the end. You may as well accept the fact that you're unlovable."_

_I slapped him across the face as hard as I could, hurting my hand in the process. Yet the pain in my hand was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. "How could you say that? You're supposed to be my best friend!"_

_He rubbed the area I'd hit. "We haven't been best friends in a long time. How could I be friends with you after you rejected me?"_

"_I'm sorry I did that. Please let me explain. I turned you down because-" _

_His cell phone rang and he looked down at the caller ID. "It's Hannah. Gotta go." He opened the phone as he started walking out of my office. "Hello, love of my life and mother of my unborn child. How are you doing, beautiful?"_

"_Booth!" I moved to block his path. "Don't you dare walk out on me!"_

_He pushed me aside and kept walking._

"_Booth! BOOTH!"_

"Booth…Booth…"

"Bren! Sweetie, it's me! It's Angela! Open your eyes!"

I did. Slowly, slowly my brain accepted that I'd been dreaming and adjusted to my new surroundings. I was in a hospital bed. Not my office. Sitting in a chair beside my bed was Angela. Not Booth. Of course not Booth. "Ange…how long have I been here?"

"Since last night. You were attacked in the Jeffersonian parking lot during the Donors' Banquet. An intern found you unconscious and called 911. When you came here, the doctors realized you had suffered internal injuries and operated on you." Tears ran down her face. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry I pressured you to go to that stupid banquet."

"You don't need to apologize, Ange. You were trying to get me to reconnect with the world out of a concern for my well-being; you were being a good friend. You had no way of knowing what would happen."

"I know. But I still feel terrible about it. Booth feels terrible too that he didn't go with you. I have to call him and tell him you're awake."

I laughed. "You don't need to bother him. He and Hannah are probably having lots and lots of sex right now."

Her face was serious. "No, they're not. Booth's at the FBI right now, questioning a suspect in your attack. And you want to know what he was doing before that? He was sitting in this room, in this chair, waiting for you to wake up. And before that, he was waiting in the lobby with me, Hodgins, Cam, Sweets, and Daisy while you were being operated on."

I took a few moments to allow this information to sink in. "I didn't think he cared about me that much anymore."

"He definitely cares. When your doctor came to the lobby to tell us that your surgery was done, and that one of us could sit with you, Booth was out of his chair before the guy finished the sentence. The Booth we all know and love is back, and I'm pretty sure he's here to stay."

XXXXXXXXXX

Some time later, I heard familiar footsteps and saw Booth standing in the doorway of my room. He was looking at me in a way I hadn't seen in a long time, a way that never failed to make me smile. "Hey, Bones."

Angela looked at him, then turned back to me and smiled. "I'm going to go find Hodgins. See you later, sweetie."

"See you later, Ange."

Booth stepped aside to let Angela pass, then walked into the room and took the seat beside my bed. "I'm so glad you're awake, Bones. I was afraid you might never wake up. That I would lose you forever."

I knew that feeling well. "I felt the same way when you were in a coma after your brain surgery."

He reached for my hand and I gave it to him. "How are you feeling now?"

"Tired, but I'm receiving an adequate amount of medication, so I'm not in much pain. Overall I'm thankful that I'm alive."

"So am I. I've been praying to God and every saint I know that you'd be okay. Dickinson should be thankful too, because now I won't have to kill him."

"Dickinson? You mean William Dickinson?" My heart rate accelerated. "You have him in custody?"

He squeezed my hand. "Yeah. It's okay, Bones; he's not going anywhere."

"He confessed?" My heart rate returned to its normal rhythm.

"Eventually. He tried to deny everything at first, but when I realized he had a broken wrist, I knew he was the one. I used the same tactic on him that we used on Rick Turco in the Warren Lynch case. Remember?"

I remembered. Warren Lynch was a wealthy businessman who had caused a train derailment in an effort to fake his own death. That had been the first case I'd worked with Cam as my boss. "So you told William I'd woken up and identified him as my attacker."

"And it worked. He's never going to hurt you or any other woman ever again."

I kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me." He looked ashamed. "If I had gone to the banquet with you like you'd asked, you wouldn't have been attacked in the first place. I would have protected you."

"It's not your fault, Booth. As I told Angela, you had no way of knowing what would happen at the banquet. Besides, you couldn't have gone because you already had plans with Hannah."

"Speaking of Hannah-"

"Oh God. You're going to tell me you're engaged and expecting a baby."

He laughed. "What? No, no, no. I was going to say that she asked me to give you these." He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. My sunglasses. The ones I had given to Hannah when she was in the hospital. "She said she couldn't keep something that belonged to you." He paused, took a deep breath. "That's why we broke up."

I took the sunglasses from him and placed them on the bedside table. "You and Hannah **broke up**?"

"Yeah."

"Because of my sunglasses?"

"Because I belong to you too."

I was confused. "But you said you'd moved on. You and Hannah were so happy together."

"Hannah did make me happy; I won't lie about that. It felt good to be loved. But I realized that I could never love her completely because I'm still in love with _you_, Bones. I've always loved you and I always will, even if you never want a relationship with me. That's the truth, and I promised God and myself that if you woke up I'd tell you." There were tears in his eyes.

_Booth loves me. _

_We haven't missed our moment._

_Booth loves me._

I could feel my own tears forming. "I'll tell you the truth too. When William started kissing me, I wanted to enjoy it because it had been a long time since someone had kissed me. But I couldn't because I kept thinking of you. I wanted **you** to be the one kissing me. I turned you down last year because I was afraid, but I'm not afraid anymore. I want to give us a chance."

He kissed me with a tenderness I'd never known before, and every foolish romantic cliché I'd heard over the years suddenly made perfect sense.

"Will you take me home?" I asked. I disliked spending time in hospitals and would rather be recovering in my own bed.

"Now?" He laughed. "You just had surgery! You'll need to stay here for at least a few days."

"You left a hospital shortly after getting blown up."

"And I had to go back, remember? Stay here until they're ready to send you home, and I'll take you. If you let me, I'll stay with you until you get back on your feet. I could cook for you, clean, do your errands, do whatever you need. I'll be your personal slave. What do you think?"

"I don't want you to be my slave, Booth. Just be you. That'll be enough."

"I can do that," he said with a charm smile.

"Good." I felt my eyelids fluttering closed of their own accord. "I'd like to keep talking to you, but I think I'm going to fall asleep again."

"That's okay. Go ahead and rest, Bones. I'll be here when you wake up."

When I re-entered REM sleep, I didn't dream about Booth and Hannah again. I dreamed of Booth and me, and of a happy future that seemed more possible than ever.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Only one more chapter (a fluffy epilogue) to go!**

**Thanks for reading! All comments are greatly appreciated.**


	5. The Agent in the Epilogue

**AN: I dedicate this epilogue to my mom. Thank you for giving me such a lovely Christmas!**

XXXXXXXXXX

Four months after Bones was attacked, I drove to George Washington University Hospital after another phone call in the night.

That time, the caller was Bones. My _girlfriend_.

We officially became a couple a few weeks after the attack, much to the delight of our families and co-workers. Squints, FBI agents, and a certain puckish prosecutor all teased us about how long it had taken us to get together. Angela even drew a picture of the two of us holding each other and wrote "It's about time!" at the bottom. I got it framed and hung it in my bedroom. I'll admit that Angela and everyone else had a point. Most couples don't take over six years to admit their feelings for each other. But I told everyone who teased us that it was worth the wait, and I meant it. I'd never been happier in a relationship, and I was sure Bones would say the same.

Of course, it hadn't been entirely smooth sailing. Bones is a very independent woman, and it was initially hard for her to accept my help after her release from the hospital. Even though her doctors told her to rest, she wanted to do everything for herself. When I first brought her meals in bed, she got angry and accused me of treating her like an invalid. Eventually, however, I convinced her that accepting help didn't make her weak. She came to appreciate my efforts and would reward me with a kiss. Or two. Or three. Or more. After so many years of not being able to kiss her when I wanted, I treasured every one of them. I still do.

And then there were the nightmares about that bastard Dickinson attacking her again. The first couple weeks after the attack, I would hear her sobs from the guest room, but when I ran to her room she'd insist she was fine. Shortly after we became a couple, she told me about the dreams. She'd had no choice, really, since it's harder to hide your cries when you're sharing a bed with someone. When she woke up from a nightmare, I would hold her and rub her back until she fell asleep again. She did the same for me when _I_ had nightmares about her being hurt.

The nightmares about Dickinson had finally stopped a month before, when we got a call saying that he'd been killed in jail by another inmate, Mitchell Palmer, while he was awaiting trial. When asked why he'd done it, Palmer said he didn't appreciate Dickinson attacking his favorite author. Palmer may be a devout Brennanite, but I wouldn't be surprised if Max had whispered in his ear.

Bones had fully recovered from the attack. She no longer needed my help to do daily chores (though I still enjoyed cooking for her), and she was back to working long hours. I felt better about her working late after Cam had additional security cameras installed in the parking garage (at my request). Cam also led the investigation that uncovered the security guard Dickinson bribed to destroy the tapes of Bones' attack. He was fired by the Jeffersonian and charged with obstruction of justice by the FBI. He was found guilty and, thanks to Caroline, received the maximum sentence.

One night a week, Bones had been leaving work early (well, early for her) to go to advanced martial arts classes because she thought she needed a refresher. After each class, she came to my apartment and practiced her skills on me. I was always happy to practice with her because a) she's the woman I love, and I wanted her to be able to defend herself in any situation, especially if I wasn't around to back her up, and b) our practice sessions always ended with one of us pinning the other to the floor. Once we were in that position, lovemaking was sure to follow. I don't want to brag, but Bones and I are as good at making love as we are at catching murderers. She would laugh at me for saying this, but sometimes I feel as if our bodies were actually made for each other. I know our souls were.

Anyway, I had been working late at the FBI building when Bones called. She'd gone to the hospital directly from the lab, so I told her I'd meet her there. When I arrived, I saw her sitting in the lobby, typing on her lap top.

"Working on a love scene for Kathy and Andy? I could offer some suggestions." I flashed her the Seeley Booth charm smile.

"I appreciate the offer, but I was just finishing a report." Smiling, she put her computer down and rose from her chair. We wrapped our arms around each other and kissed. Did I mention how much I love kissing her?

"How's Angela?" I asked.

"The last time I heard from Hodgins, he said that she had just started pushing. The baby could come at any time." She sounded as excited as I felt.

We sat side by side in the lobby, her head resting on my shoulder as we waited and waited for the arrival of the newest squint. At some point we fell asleep, because the next thing I remember is Hodgins tapping my shoulder. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Come meet your goddaughter."

Hand in hand, Bones and I followed Hodgins to Angela's room, where we found her holding a brown haired, brown eyed baby girl.

"She's beautiful," I told the beaming parents.

"Just like her mom," Hodgins said. "Every boy in school is going to try to woo her." He looked at me. "Maybe her FBI agent godfather could intimidate the undesirable candidates?"

I laughed. "I'll be sure to have a talk with every guy she dates."

"Meaning you'll show them your gun?" Bones teased.

"If I have to," I joked. To be honest, I wasn't entirely joking.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Angela told her daughter. "I promise I won't let your father and godfather ruin your social life...although I hope your teenage years won't be as crazy as mine were. Hopefully you'll be more studious than I was. Maybe you'll end up being a brilliant scientist like your dad and godmother."

"I'd be happy to teach her about anthropology," Bones offered.

"And I'll definitely be teaching her about bugs and slime," Hodgins said. His smile slowly vanished, replaced by a look of panic. "What if...oh God."

"What if what, Jack?" Angela asked.

"What if she doesn't like bugs?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Hodgins. Parker doesn't like everything I like and we still get along fine. You love your kids no matter what."

"You're right," he said. "Thanks, man."

"So does the newest member of the squint squad have a name yet?" I asked.

"Olivia Temperance Montenegro Hodgins," Angela announced.

I smiled. "That's a pretty big name for such a little girl."

"Yeah, but we'll only use her full name when she's in trouble," Hodgins joked. "The rest of the time we'll call her Olivia."

"I'm honored that you gave her my name as a middle name," Bones said. "Could I hold her?"

"You're her godmother, sweetie. Of course you can hold her." Angela gently handed Olivia to Bones.

When I saw the way my girlfriend smiled at the baby in her arms, I fell in love with her all over again.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I loved seeing you hold Olivia," I told Bones later that night as we lay together in bed. "You looked even more beautiful than usual."

She laughed. "I don't see how my holding an infant could improve my physical appearance."

"Trust me, it did." I kissed her.

"I did enjoy holding her, and I enjoyed seeing Angela and Hodgins so happy."

"Me too." After a few moments of silence, I dared to voice the thought that had been on my mind ever since we'd left the hospital. "If someday it was us in a maternity ward, holding a little squint of our own...preferably after we'd gotten married, but I know how you feel about marriage...that could be nice, couldn't it?"

She smiled. "Yes. Very nice. And I'm not as opposed to marriage as I used to be."

"You're not?" If I could have seen my reflection just then, I'm sure I would have seen myself grinning like an idiot.

"It used to be difficult for me to imagine spending my life with anyone," she said. "But now it's difficult to imagine _not_ spending my life with you."

I kissed her again. "I love you, Bones."

She kissed me back. "I love you too."

XXXXXXXXXX

We got married three months later. Ten months after our wedding day, our daughter Bridget Elizabeth was born. Hers was a difficult delivery, and for a few terrifying minutes I thought that I might lose my wife and child. Thankfully Bones is a fighter, and our little girl is too. The moment the doctor put her in Bones' arms was one of the happiest of my life.

Bridget and Olivia were great friends as they grew up, just like their mothers. Olivia never loved bugs as much as her dad, but she didn't hate them. She followed in her mother's footsteps, becoming a successful artist. At her last exhibit, she showed paintings she had done of various insects. I've never seen Hodgins look prouder.

Bridget followed in _my_ footsteps, going into law enforcement. Having inherited my street smarts and her mother's intellect (as well as her beauty), she's got one of the highest solve rates in the Bureau. As the liaison to the Jeffersonian, she often runs into Parker- Dr. Parker Booth that is. He's one of the best anthropologists they have. Not surprising, considering he was taught by the best.

Last night, Bones and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. I told her that I loved her now even more than I did thirty years ago, and she said she felt the same way about me. I knew, right from the beginning, that we'd end up here someday. Admittedly we took a few unexpected detours along the way, but everything worked out in the end. Love conquers all, they say.

Bones and I are living proof of that.

_The End_

XXXXXXXXXX

**Thanks for reading! All comments are greatly appreciated.**


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